1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer-aided design and, more specifically, to a system and method of section cutting and analysis of a computer model.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle design, and in particular automotive vehicle design, has advanced to a state in which computer-aided design techniques are frequently incorporated in the development of a new vehicle. Computer-aided design is especially beneficial in the design and analysis of a vehicle body to maximize design and functional capabilities of the vehicle. Advantageously, potential structural changes to the vehicle body can be considered in a timely and cost-effective manner using computer-assisted design techniques, versus preparing an actual vehicle model.
The structural design generated by the computer-aided design software program typically provides a user with a model in a format for computer aided engineering, manufacturing and other engineering evaluation purposes. Several software programs are generally known and commercially available for computer aided design and computer aided engineering purposes. However, the geometric complexity of a computer aided design model renders it time consuming to utilize for some engineering assessment purposes, especially for a system as complex as a vehicle. At the same time, potential modifications to the model are difficult to implement and assess, especially in a timely manner.
It is known to select a portion of the model to reduce the complexity of the engineering assessment. For example, a structural member, such as a beam, is cut from the CAD model and evaluated using computer aided engineering. However, this process is also time consuming and involves many manual operations, because of the geometric complexity. In addition, potential modifications to the structural member are also time consuming to analyze. Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method of cutting a portion of a computer model into sections, and analyzing the sections using engineering analytical techniques.